Means of Transformation
harnessing broadband for
the post-2015 development agenda
A report of the broadband commission
task force on sustainable development
In collaboration with:
About
About The Commission
The Broadband Commission for Digital Development was launched by the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in response
to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s call to step up efforts to meet the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs). Established in May 2010, the Commission unites top industry executives with government
leaders, thought leaders and policy pioneers and international agencies and organizations concerned with
development.
The Broadband Commission embraces a range of different perspectives in a multi-stakeholder approach to
promoting the rollout of broadband, as well as providing a fresh approach to UN and business engagement.
To date, the Commission has published a number of high-level policy reports, best practices and case
studies.
More information about the Commission is available at www.broadbandcommission.org.
AcknowlEdgements
This Report has been written collaboratively, drawing on rich insights and contributions from members of the Broadband
Commission Task Force on Sustainable Development and other individuals. We would like to thank Ericsson for its
leadership in the production of this report, and Hans Vestberg for chairing the work of the Task Group.
The members of the Task Force on Sustainable Development are as follows, listed in alphabetical order of institution,
followed by alphabetical order of surname:
Florence Gaudry-Perkins (Alcatel-Lucent), Joanna Rubinstein (The Earth Institute at Columbia University), Reza Jafari
(E-Development International), Elaine Weidman Grunewald (Ericsson), Neelie Kroes (European Commission), Estelle
Schnitzler (EUTELSAT), Virginie Bongeot (INSEAD eLab), Amir Dossal (Global Partnerships Forum), Belinda Exelby
(GSMA), Hoda Baraka (ictQatar), Peter Pitsch (Intel), Antonio Garcia Zaballos (Inter-American Development Bank),
Renata David Brazil (ITSO), Hamadoun Touré, Patricia Benoit-Guyot, Phillippa Biggs, Simao Campos, Gary Fowlie,
Hani Eskandar, Piers Letcher, Hiroshi Ota, Anna Polomska, Susan Schorr and Nancy Sundberg (ITU), Paul Budde
(Paul Budde Communication Pty Ltd), Tom Wasilewski (Qualcomm), Ivo Ivanovski (Republic of Macedonia Ministry of
Information Society and Administration), Suvi Linden (Special Envoy to the Broadband Commission), Indrajit Banerjee
and Dov Lynch (UNESCO), Janice DiDominick, Avrille Hanzel and Anita Sharma (UN Foundation), Ricardo Dunn and
Louise Stoddard (UN-OHRLLS), Amina Mohammed (UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development
Planning) and Yesim Baykal and Michele Woods (WIPO).
In addition, we would like to thank Jessica Dorr (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), Irina Bokova (UNESCO) and
Margaret Chan (WHO) for contributing to the report. The editorial team included Elaine Weidman-Grunewald (Ericsson),
Jose Maria Diaz Batanero, Gabrielle Swaby and Mischa Liatowitsch (ITU), and Amy Brown and Andrea Spencer-Cooke
(One Stone).
Foreword
The world is at an important crossroads. We have an
enormous opportunity – and a great responsibility – to
carry on the mission and momentum of the Millennium
Development Goals beyond 2015. A new, inclusive,
multi-stakeholder development agenda is emerging,
to be framed by a new set of goals and targets, the
Sustainable Development Goals.
ten recommendations for harnessing the power of ICT
and broadband for sustainable development. This
follow-up report builds on those recommendations to
offer practical guidance for governments and other
stakeholders on concrete actions they can take to
leverage ICT in support of sustainable development
goals.
While the final framework for this agenda is still evolving,
the members of the Broadband Commission for Digital
Development are convinced that the global community
must work together to apply the best means and most
innovative solutions to tackle enduring challenges and
achieve shared sustainable development goals. ICT
and broadband are key transformative technologies
that can be harnessed for this purpose.
Through this report, the Broadband Commission
urges the international community to join the dots
between our collective moral imperative to act swiftly
on the post-2015 development agenda, and the huge,
unrealized potential of ICT and broadband to build
a more inclusive, sustainable society. The members
of the Commission hope this report will provide
inspiration for governments and decision-makers to
seize these opportunities and incorporate them within
National Broadband Plans.
ICT and broadband can play a major role in delivering
integrated, cross-sectoral, sustainable development
outcomes. But to do so effectively, they must be
acknowledged and embedded as a core means of
implementation for the post-2015 agenda.
In 2013, the Broadband Commission Task Force
on Sustainable Development published a report,
Transformative Solutions for 2015 and Beyond, offering
The report is based on interviews and supporting
material from leaders and experts across industry,
government, academia and international organizations,
including members of the Broadband Commission for
Digital Development.
We welcome your feedback and hope that the report
will be a springboard for further discussion and action.
Hans Vestberg
Dr Hamadoun I. Touré
Secretary-General,
International
Telecommunication Union
(ITU), Co-Vice-Chair of the
Broadband Commission for
Digital Development
President and Chief
Executive Officer, Ericsson,
Chair of the Broadband
Commission Task Force on
Sustainable Development and
the Post-2015 Development
Agenda
INTRoDUCTION
Building an inclusive and sustainable knowledgebased society is one of the most important goals of
the global community. To that end, a new development
agenda is currently being defined to guide world leaders
in addressing social, economic and environmental
priorities beyond 2015. Spurred by the momentum
created by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
over the past decade and a half, this new development
agenda will be framed by a new set of goals and
targets – the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2012, one of the main outcomes of the United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) was
the agreement by Member States to launch a process
to develop a set of SDGs. A 30-member Open Working
Group (OWG)1 of the General Assembly was therefore
established and tasked with preparing a proposal on
the SDGs in time for the 69 th United Nations General
Assembly. In July 2014, the OWG submitted its
proposal for 17 SDGs, including 169 targets.
The complexity and interconnected nature of
development challenges making up the post-2015
agenda call for a approach which leverages multistakeholder partnerships and innovative, integrated
solutions. As facilitating, crosscutting technologies,
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and
broadband in particular can serve as the backbone
of such solutions. Poverty alleviation, the first of the
proposed SDGs, continues to be a primary focus area
and is thus the mandate for all stakeholders working
towards sustainable development post-2015.
Highlighting this enabling potential of broadband in
achieving a sustainable society is a key objective of
the Broadband Commission for Digital Development.
Although much progress has been achieved, the
Broadband Commission believes more emphasis
should be placed on the transformative role of
broadband in building sustainable societies. Digital
technologies have immense potential to serve as
powerful means of implementation in realizing the
proposed SDGs.
ICT and broadband are increasingly integrated into
every aspect of the global economy and, as a vital
part of our modern infrastructure, should be central
elements in any institutional framework for addressing
sustainable development. A truly transformative and
sustainable international development agenda that
delivers for all, within planetary boundaries, will
depend on the enabling role of ICT and broadband.
In 2013, the Broadband Commission released a
report, Transformative Solutions for 2015 and Beyond,
setting out 10 key multi-stakeholder recommendations
for harnessing ICT and broadband as positive
forces for sustainable socioeconomic development.
Accompanying it was a manifesto signed by
55 prominent sector leaders and international
organizations to present their shared belief in the
benefits of broadband for sustainable development.
The present report builds on this foundation by
identifying concrete opportunities for countries to
leverage broadband as an enabling, crosscutting
infrastructure to deliver on the post-2015 development
agenda. Intended as a practical guide, it outlines
opportunities, best practice examples and key success
factors for using broadband to achieve sustainable
development objectives. It concludes with general
recommendations for creating an enabling environment
to fully harness this remarkable technology in creating
a more sustainable society. The aim is to provide
inspiration for governments launching – or reviewing
– their own national development agendas and
broadband plans, and an invitation to envision ICT and
broadband not just as means of implementation, but
as means of transformation across all sectors involved
in meeting sustainable development objectives.
The report is structured as follows:
• Section One describes the result of a gap
analysis to identify possible opportunities where
ICT and broadband could play a greater enabling
role in supporting the proposed SDGs. We identify
ten proposed goals in particular where ICT and
broadband could help achieve sustainability
objectives.
• Section Two showcases best practice examples
from around the world where governments
are already using ICT and broadband to meet
sustainable development objectives. It features
key factors for success to help government
stakeholders design robust ICT-enabled strategies
for achieving the proposed SDGs.
• Section Three builds on these success factors to
present a number of policy-focused, market-based
recommendations to help governments create the
necessary enabling framework to fully capture ICT
and broadband’s transformative role in sustainable
development.
5
1
Broadband and
the Post-2015
Agenda
6
The path to 2015 – and beyond
In 2000, world leaders embarked on an ambitious
process to achieve eight international development
goals – the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
– by 2015. As that date fast approaches, a ‘Post-2015
Development Agenda’ is underway and countries
around the world are devising a new set of universal
goals and targets – the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) – to build on the MDGs and respond
to new challenges. Human development and poverty
eradication remain at the core of the proposed SDGs
(Box 1), with recognition that a healthy and resilient
environment underpins sustainable social and
economic progress.
Box 1:
Sustainable Development Goals, as proposed by the OWG
Source: Proposal of the Open Working Group for Sustainable Development Goals (July 2014) 2
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable
agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning
opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive
employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster
innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for
sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably
manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt
biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to
justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for
sustainable development
7
From goals to action
Other general ICT-related references are also made in
various targets across the 17 proposed SDGs (Figure
1).
Figure 1: Number of targets with general
references to ICT and ICT-related terms*
15
• Proposed Goal 4: “Ensure inclusive and equitable
quality education and promote life-long learning
opportunities for all” includes a target referencing
the need for ICT training in both developing and
developed countries.
• Proposed Goal 5: “Achieve gender equality and
empower all women and girls” includes a target
to enhance the use of enabling technologies, “in
particular ICT,” to promote women’s empowerment.
• Proposed Goal 9: “Build resilient infrastructure,
promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization
and foster innovation” includes a target to
“significantly increase access to ICT and strive to
provide universal and affordable access to Internet
in LDCs (least developed countries) by 2020.”
2
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The important role of ICT and broadband is already
reflected in some of the 17 proposed SDGs, but a
systematic approach to integrating ICT as a means
of implementation is lacking. Four SDGs reference
ICT specifically. The latter three (5, 9 and 17)
specifically feature clear targets on ICT as a means of
implementation:
7
rm
ICT is a relatively new and rapidly evolving industry
and the full reach and capabilities of the technology
are yet to be uncovered. Nonetheless it is already clear
that ICT and broadband will be pivotal levers in moving
the proposed SDGs from vision to action and should
be universally recognized as a crucial component
in the means of implementation for reaching global
sustainable development objectives.
In
The success of the proposed SDGs will depend in
large part on the development and use of innovative
means of implementation (MOI). 3 Putting in place
effective delivery mechanisms is absolutely critical for
actioning a new set of global goals. Without adequate
MOI, the proposed SDGs will remain a visionary, wellintentioned global aspiration, but not implementable.
• Proposed Goal 17: “Strengthen the means of
implementation and revitalize the global partnership
for sustainable development” includes a target to
“…enhance the use of enabling technologies in
particular ICT.”
ru
The proposed SDGs are designed to be actionoriented, global in nature, and universally applicable
to all countries, while taking into account different
national realities, capacities and levels of development
and respecting national policies and priorities.
Source: OWG Proposal for SDGs, analysis by the Broadband Commission
Secretariat
*Some targets included multiple references to ICT-related terms, so there is
overlap with the number of references. E.g., Target 5.b mentions both ICT
and technologies, so this target was counted twice.
The Broadband Commission believes there is
considerable scope to integrate the unique role of
ICT more fully into the current proposal for SDGs.
As a technology-based means of implementation,
broadband’s potential contribution to realizing the
proposed SDGs is unmatched. Around the world,
mobile broadband as today’s fastest-growing form
of ICT, is already delivering far-reaching benefits and
enabling progress in economic development, health,
education, low-carbon development, environmental
management as well as peace, justice and social
inclusion.
A window of opportunity
Given the proven capability of ICT- and broadbandenabled solutions to shape a more sustainable world,
the Broadband Commission strongly believes that
broadband and ICT should be explicitly included
as means of implementation in fulfilling most, if not
all, of the proposed SDGs. It should be viewed as a
crosscutting, systems-oriented platform. Yet at present
a total of 14 proposed goals make no direct reference
to broadband and/or ICT as means of implementation.
As shown in Table 1, this report focuses on ten
proposed SDGs that in particular could significantly
benefit from the enabling potential of broadband,
as underlined in previous reports of the Broadband
Commission.
For example, increasing ICT accessibility enhances
social inclusion and boosts livelihoods for those active
in today’s digital economy. Mobile banking services
in Africa demonstrate the positive impact it can have
in supporting the economy and creating jobs. Digital
Health, especially mobile solutions in developing
countries, has significantly improved access to health
services and efficiency gains for health delivery in
general.
Farmers can gain more accurate weather information
and sales prices, order seeds and fertilizers online,
and contract or pay loans via their mobiles. Students
around the world can benefit from 24/7 connectivity,
borderless learning and the global exchange of ideas.
ICT-enabled smarter energy management can drive
efficiency and spur the shift to intelligent, low-carbon,
closed-loop systems.
And by developing their ICT skills, girls and women
gain access to life-enhancing health, education,
financial and entrepreneurial support.
3
Table 1: Proposed SDGs that could significantly benefit from broadband/ICT as a MOI
Proposed SDGs
Potential benefits of ICT/Broadband
Economic Development
• E -business, e-commerce and mobile financial services
increase social and financial inclusion of the poor
Goal 1:
End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Goal 8:
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable
economic growth, full and productive
employment and decent work for all
Health
Goal 3:
Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing
for all at all ages
• ICT is a trigger for increasing productivity and
competitiveness among Small and Medium Enterprises
(SMEs) and for digital entrepreneurship
• ICT increases literacy and engagement of people living in
poverty and develops vocational skills of the future
• R emote access to healthcare for patients in rural and remote
areas is increased with m-health, e-health and telemedicine
• D igital health systems improve efficiencies
• ICT facilitates early warning of outbreaks and real-time
data collection
• U niversal Health Coverage increases via m-health
micro-insurance systems
• D igital tools enhance the training of health-workers and
education of the population on prevention and management
of disease ICT enables birth registration
Education
Goal 4:
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality
education and promote life-long learning
opportunities for all
Low Carbon Development
oal 7:
G
Ensure access to affordable, reliable,
sustainable, and modern energy for all
Goal 11:
Make cities and human settlements inclusive,
safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 13:
Take urgent action to combat climate change
and its impacts
4
• D istance and online courses / e-learning increase access
to and quality of education, regardless of location and level
of development
• ICT facilitates better teacher training and development
• M anagement information systems increase efficiency and
effectiveness of educational administrations
• E fficiency of energy generation, distribution and
consumption is increased through smart buildings, smart
transportation, smart logistics, smart grids and smart
meters
• E arly warning systems, disaster risk reduction and climate
monitoring are enhanced by ICT. In cities, e-governance
and use of social media & digital technology for boost
collaboration and social inclusion.
• ICT facilitates the transition from physical to virtual
infrastructure through dematerialization, decoupling
economic growth from GHG emissions
Proposed SDGs
Potential benefits of ICT/ Broadband
Environmental Management
• E nvironmental / climate monitoring and remote sensing,
e.g. to track deforestation
Goal 14:
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans,
seas and marine resources for sustainable
development
• G eographic Information Systems
• E -agriculture and smart agricultural practices
• S mart water management and access to clean water
Goal 15:
Protect, restore and promote sustainable
use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably
manage forests, combat desertification, and
halt and reverse land degradation and halt
biodiversity loss
Peace, justice and social inclusion
Goal 16:
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for
sustainable development, provide access to
justice for all and build effective, accountable
and inclusive institutions at all levels
• ICT increases social inclusion and accessibility for persons
with disabilities
• E -governance, e-diplomacy and e-voting are enabled by ICT
• S ocial networks for freedom of expression and
crowdsourcing rely on ICT
• M obile services support reporting / tracking on violence,
harassment, corruption, etc.
• Improves transparency and accountability
Source: Broadband Commission Secretariat
Section 2 explores in more detail transformative
solutions that can help achieve these ten proposed
SDGs, with best practice examples of how countries
are already driving sustainable outcomes through use
of broadband. Each example is accompanied by key
success factors for leveraging broadband as a means
implementation for sustainable development.
5
2
Best Practices
and Key Factors
for Success
6
This section features best practice examples which underscore how broadband can drive progress towards
the ten proposed SDGs identified in Section 1 where
ICT is not currently cited as a primary means of implementation. 5
By sharing the experience of countries already leveraging ICT / broadband policy to meet these sustainability challenges, the cases demonstrate how broadband
networks, services and applications can be effective
means of implementation to advance social development, economic growth and environmental protection. The aim is to provide inspiration for governments
launching – or reviewing – their own national development agendas and broadband plans, and an invitation
to envision ICT and broadband not just as a standalone
industry sector, but as a powerful means of connecting
and interlinking all sectors involved in meeting sustainable development objectives.
Given the potential of broadband to enable progress for
economic development, health, education, low-carbon
development, environmental management, and peace,
justice and social inclusion, the ten proposed SDGs
are grouped under these six main themes. A short
summary of how broadband can address each theme
is followed by a best practice snapshot from around
the world. For each example, key factors for success
are highlighted to help policymakers pinpoint actions
and strategies that successfully leverage broadband as
a means implementation.
Economic development
“Doubling the broadband speed for an
economy increases GDP by 0.3%.” 6
ICT and broadband contribute to poverty eradication
by fostering economic growth and generating employment. Especially in developing countries, where weak
and uneven global economic recovery has yielded little
progress in reducing low-quality employment, 7 the digital economy is sparking access to new markets, innovation and competitive advantages for entrepreneurs
and businesses of all sizes. For the 2.5 billion people
estimated to be unbanked in lower- to middle-income
countries, mobile phones can enable access to credit
and banking services; 8 more than 55 million Africans
use basic mobile phones to transfer money, take out
insurance policies and collect payment from government agencies. 9 E-commerce, teleworking and mobile
applications can also positively impact inclusive economic growth by expanding employment opportunities
for less advantaged and marginalized groups.
Proposed Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms
everywhere
Vietnam connecting rural communes 10
Recognizing ICT and access to information as potent
tools for poverty eradication, Vietnam is developing infrastructure and universalizing telecommunications and
Internet services for those living in extreme poverty. A
program was initiated with the explicit goal of providing
public Internet access points to 70% of Vietnam’s extreme poverty communes by 2010. The government of
Vietnam invited major telecommunications companies
– including the VNPT Group, Viettel, EVN Telecom and
the Vietnam Maritime Communication and Electronics
Company (VISHIPEL) – to support the program and
provide technical capacity. Four years after implementation, over 20 million people in rural areas have been
able to use and access telecommunication services.
7
Health
Key Success Factors:
Partnerships among government agencies, the
telecommunications sector and development
communities are key. By inviting major
telecommunications companies to support
provision of telecommunications services, the
government was able to encourage business
investment, leading to mobilization of financial
resources and technical capacity.
Proposed Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive
and sustainable economic growth, full and
productive employment and decent work for all
E-commerce boosts employment in Belize 11
The Belizean government successfully stimulated
e-business and employment growth by encouraging
expansion of private e-commerce parks in Export Processing Zones (EPZs). Many of the country’s licensed
Business Processing Outsourcing organizations – such
as broadband-reliant call centers – are based in these
parks. Exempting incoming dotcoms from taxes has
resulted in nationwide expansion: in 2012, there were
11 known call centers employing over 1,300 people.
A conservative 3-year projection shows 150% to 160%
increase in employment, creating around 3,000 additional jobs, boosting international investment and productivity. 12
“More than one million lives could be saved
in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2017 with just
m-Health solutions” 13
Faced with increasing demand for health services and
rising costs, many governments are starting to recognize ICT and broadband as an effective means to
deliver high-quality services at low cost. Mobile applications have a key role to play in monitoring patient
health – especially for marginalized or underserved
populations, and in simplifying medical-related financial transactions. Under the OneMillion Community
Health Worker Campaign and the Mobile Alliance for
Maternal Action (MAMA) , for example, mobile phones
are enabling real-time disease surveillance, child and
maternal health monitoring, and mobile training across
sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, mobile phones and ICT
contribute to strengthening primary health systems in
developing countries. Broadband-enabled technology
is also valuable for driving demand for services and
commodities by improving access to information, encouraging behavior change and empowering people to
make informed decisions about their health and that of
their families.
Proposed Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and
promote wellbeing for all at all ages
Mapping Nigeria’s social infrastructure 16
Key Success Factors:
The Belizean government provided investment
incentives to the private sector and harnessed
market dynamics and competition to create
good socioeconomic outcomes. By adopting
a regulatory framework that reduces barriers
to new entrants and removing taxes and
import duties on ICT products and related
accessories, the government spurred use of
ICT and growth of the ICT industry. A proinvestment environment can be established
through sound regulatory policy, fair and
transparent regulation, and constructive
dialog with stakeholders.
8
The Earth Institute has been working with the Office of
Senior Special Advisor to the President on the MDGs
(OSSAP- MDGs) of the Nigerian government to assist
with the information systems to support the LGA-track
of the Conditional Grant Scheme (CGS). CGS was designed to support the building and staffing of facility
infrastructure for health, education, water and other
social sectors. With Earth Institute’s SEL (Sustainable
Engineering Laboratory), a platform to locate, assess,
aggregate and display facility-level was created. This
platform was updated in 2014 and was launched by
the Nigerian Government as a public resource in August 2014 through NMIS (nmis.mdgs.gov.ng). This
nationwide inventory of health, water and education
facilities has the latest status of more than 250,000
facilities. The Nigeria MDG Information System (NMIS)
is an online interactive data management system to
monitor and evaluate data generated by smartphonebased lean data gathering and management tools,
which have now been transferred to the Nigeria Government (formhub.org). Through the efforts of the hundreds of field enumerators that were deployed by OSSAP, the whole of Nigeria was mapped and recorded
within months. “Gathering that information in a couple
of months rather than years without the use of paper,
means real-time data for decision-making,” says Joanna Rubinstein of the Earth Institute. The data will be
used to help the Nigerian government track and assess
progress toward achieving the MDGs and the CGS.
Improving Indian health services 17
Key Success Factors:
ICT initiatives work best when nationally coordinated (through OSSAP) enabling policies
and support are matched with action on
the ground, when lessons from pilots are
leveraged and when effective and affordable
use is championed along with transparency
of data. This was the case for NMIS, a
LGA-level project in Nigeria that harnessed
the
organizational
structures
provided
by OSSAP, supported by tools and smart
phone functionality to record details about
infrastructure and facilities around the country
to create a national database. By connecting
on-the-ground use of ICT with national
development objectives, the vital information
that now makes up the NMIS can be used to
inform government decision-making around
the proposed SDGs.
Since the launch of its national broadband plan in 2010,
India has experienced improved access to broadband
in the health sector. M-health and telemedicine offer
the ability to extend coverage significantly by allowing
healthcare workers to conduct consultations, diagnostics and treatment remotely. 18 Mobile technology has
also played a role in reducing mortality rates, extending access to healthcare facilities to rural areas, improving disease recovery by lowering default rates and
increasing people’s knowledge of health danger signs.
This translates into savings – in lives and resources –
with direct health improvements for the overall population. With nearly 900 million mobile phone connections
and over 200 million Internet users, experts say wireless technology can decentralize India’s USD$250 billion healthcare industry by 2020. 19
Key Success Factors:
Close collaboration among ICT/telecom and
health government ministries and industry
can enhance the development of guidelines
and standards for an ICT-enabled healthcare
infrastructure that delivers cost-effective
health services. These guidelines and
standards – which can be developed within
the framework of public policies such as
national broadband plans – should leverage
existing technologies to ensure innovative,
cost-effective solutions. In this regard, it
is important to conduct market analysis to
assess the best ways of harnessing existing
national market dynamics.
Education
Globally over 70 million school-age children do
not attend school and 781 million adults and 126
million youth lack basic literacy skills – over 60
per cent of them women. 20
Access to quality education for all – including access to
ICT and the Internet – is an imperative for building inclusive and participatory knowledge societies. Against
a background where a global learning crisis is costing
governments USD$129 million a year, 21 ICT and broadband are transforming traditional learning models,
providing cost-effective access to quality education
materials, allowing students to self-customize learning
and helping teachers facilitate rather than disseminate
knowledge. Use of online courses and cloud-based solutions such as Connect to Learn 22 are enriching lives
by opening up learning opportunities in regions where
access to quality education is low (especially for girls)
and enhancing lifelong learning by enabling workers to
up-skill and qualify online. Currently, there are more
than 5 million people taking university courses online
through massive open online courses (MOOC); 40%
of them come from developing countries. 23 Developing the skills to effectively use technology and navigate
the digital world is key for participating fully in today’s
knowledge economy.
9
“We need to make the most of every
multiplier to promote access by all to
quality education – broadband and ICT
are essential here, to widen access, to
enhance the quality of learning, to bridge
digital divides and to allow every learner
to participate fully in building inclusive
knowledge societies. This is why I call
today for ever stronger political will from
all stakeholders to harness fully the power
of broadband and ICT for the benefit of all.”
Dr. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO
Proposed Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable
quality education and promote life-long learning
opportunities for all
Smart schools in Egypt 24
Launched in 2003, the Smart Schools Network in Egypt
aims to improve administration in preparatory schools
and leverage technology to raise educational standards
and promote computer literacy. IT companies provide
schools with modern classroom technology in addition to software for computer education, technologyaided education, teacher training and learning centers. In its use of ICT for “smart schools,” the Egyptian
government mobilized schools to serve as community
learning centers. Several software applications were
introduced to assist in school management by facilitating their web presence so that the schools’ communities can interact effectively with other communities.
The result: IT infrastructure and appropriate software
were successfully installed in 38 schools; schools were
equipped with 2,677 PCs, and some 2,401 teachers
Key Success Factors:
A key determinant in securing wide diffusion
of broadband-based solutions is ensuring
mass uptake of facilities and services, through
demand stimulation. In Egypt, e-education
demand
stimulation
policies,
involving
promotion and utilization of ICT in education
programs, improved the education and
learning process by reinforcing 21st century
skills and building an ICT-based community.
10
and 307 school administrators were trained to better
utilize school and learning management systems. In total, 18,384 students have benefited from the project.
Public libraries featured in Peru’s Digital Agenda 25
Development and education outcomes require ICT access points that are promoted as community spaces
open to everyone. Peru is making important steps forward to make its libraries development-oriented community access points. As the public face of access to
information, libraries benefit from ongoing public support and dedicated funding under local, regional or national government budgets. With 70% of the world’s
320,000 public libraries in developing countries, these
critical community assets provide access to information for all and equal opportunities in technology, training and education. This is especially important in many
countries for girls and women, for whom libraries are
seen as safe, reliable and affordable resources, with
trained female staff contributing to high levels of comfort in using library facilities. As stated by Jessica Dorr,
Deputy Director of Global Libraries at the Gates Foundation, “There is no community or economic development without access to information.”
Key Success Factors:
To make the best use of existing resources,
governments and development agencies
should reference public libraries as part of
their digital agenda to strengthen and expand
the services libraries currently offer. Peru is
making important steps forward in this regard
by featuring libraries in the Digital Agenda 2.0,
which provides a blueprint for an inclusive
knowledge and information society.
Development practitioners should also seek
to partner with libraries where available as
a way to sustainably support initiatives in a
variety of fields, including health, agriculture,
civic engagement, education, information
literacy and others.
Low-carbon development
Key Success Factors:
“Use of ICT could cut projected 2020 global
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 16.5%,
leading to 1.9 trillion USD in gross energy
and fuel savings.” 26
ICT can help overcome the challenges associated
with climate change by facilitating consumption reduction, energy efficiency and resilient development,
and unlocking opportunities to transition towards a
‘green economy.’ At this pivotal moment in global climate change negotiations, broadband-enabled solutions can contribute to all areas of action, including
science and data monitoring, adaptation and mitigation. Recognizing their potential to reduce energy use
and build climate change resilience, the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Momentum
for Change features ICT Solutions as one of its four
pillars for change. 27 Transitioning toward a low-carbon
economy is of particular importance for cities and urban areas, where two-thirds of the global population is
expected to live by 2050. 28 ICT and broadband are integral to the smart, sustainable city, making delivery of
services more efficient, raising quality of life, encouraging collaboration and innovation, and increasing quality
and accessibility of city administrations, among other
things.
Proposed Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable,
reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all
Reliable energy with smart grids 29
The use of smart grids will radically transform the way
energy is generated, distributed and consumed, allowing for better use of renewable energy sources without destabilizing the power grid. The United States is
undertaking a massive ICT build-out to produce the
Smart Grid. As the current patchwork grid in the USA
is increasingly interconnected and complex, reliability
has become more critical: currently power blackouts
cost the nation as much as US$164 billion per year.
Smart grids prevent blackouts by sensing problems
and routing power around them, but require a major
communications network to do this. With about 99% of
Americans already covered by at least one 3G network,
the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
recognizes that a hardened commercial wireless data
network could serve as a core part of the smart grid,
and makes recommendations to that end.
The
FCC’s
National
Broadband
Plan
discusses broadband integration into the
Smart Grid at length. It proposes several
wide-ranging
recommendations
in
this
regard and acknowledges that development
of the Smart Grid is a national priority. This
has triggered multiple review, rulemaking,
and legislative proceedings at the state
and federal levels to consider commercial
broadband communications networks for
delivering mission-critical and wide-area utility
communications for smart energy systems,
especially during emergency scenarios.
Proposed Goal 11. Make cities and human
settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and
sustainable
ICT and the new urban agenda
“By 2017, it is estimated that a majority
of people will be living in urban areas,
especially in less developed countries.” 30
Today, cities are the greatest contributor to GHG emissions and the UN-Habitat report, State of the World’s
Cities 2012/2013, 31 notes that urban inequality is increasing. With much of tomorrow’s city infrastructure
yet to be built, there is a window of opportunity to get
urbanization right and agree on a new urban agenda 32
that fosters quality of life, adequate infrastructure,
equity and environmental sustainability.
ICT can enhance proactive decision-making by providing city stakeholders with appropriate, up-to-date
and actionable intelligence. This could improve the efficiency, operation and transparency of physical infrastructure, roads, water, wastewater, emergency and
other services. For data collection, city leaders within
different departments can gain access to a rich range
of current spatial and environmental information about
their cities’ activities through urban sensors and advanced analytics. Technologies for monitoring, analysis
and automation help physical infrastructure and operation of different urban sectors. 33
11
As ICT transforms cities, it also transforms the ways
in which companies, industries, governments and citizens innovate. Collaboration has become synonymous
with innovation. With strengthened collaborative capabilities, cities are better prepared for collaboration with
groups that are focused on responding to social issues
and urban development, thus increasing productivity.
By creating a more collaborative ecosystem, businesses can achieve both greater efficiency and improved
innovation, resulting in increased overall success. This
allows for new job opportunities and a more vibrant
economy, while realizing efficiency gains that benefit
the environment.
In Sweden, the City of Stockholm’s Royal Seaport project is a multi-sector partnership to transform a former
industrial area into a state-of-the-art ICT-enabled living and working environment. Its aim is to be a worldclass, sustainable, climate-positive city district by
2030. Launched in 2012, the 'Smart ICT for living and
working in Stockholm Royal Seaport' project is exploring how ICT infrastructure can help create a socially,
ecologically and economically sustainable city district.
Key Success Factors:
Sustainable urban development requires a
multi-level, multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder
approach. Piloting innovative, collaborative
approaches is a good way to test-drive
solutions before scaling. By sharing best
practices, cities can contribute to a shared
global vision for urban sustainability.
12
Proposed Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat
climate change and its impacts
Rwanda leads in climate observation 36
Located on Mt. Karisimbi, Rwanda’s Climate Change
Observatory project aims to improve the capacity of
the countries in the region to monitor climatic conditions and meteorological forecasting, enhance regional
and international cooperation on climate change and
increase the capacity to respond to climate change
challenges. Among its features, the center will include:
a weather center, seismic monitoring unit, hydrology
unit, geothermal unit, atmospheric emission and a precipitation monitoring unit, most of which are reliant on
wireless technology systems. The first of its kind in Africa, this project is a result of collaboration among the
local government, the IT sector ministry, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Common
Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
Key Success Factors:
Highlighting
best
practice,
knowledgesharing and cooperation among stakeholders
are critical to ensure broad dissemination
of ICT innovation and lessons learned
from pilot projects. Through collaboration,
practical barriers to broadband infrastructure
deployment can be reduced or removed. In
this case, the involvement of MIT has been
especially important in providing expert
input in scoping suitable instrumentation and
potential sites for the observatory, and in
developing a plan for installation, maintenance
and capacity building for Rwandan scientists
to run the Observatory.
Environmental management
With resources becoming scarcer, ecosystems under
pressure and planetary boundaries being exceeded,
monitoring has never been more important. The sustainable use and management of natural resources is
possible only if the state of the environment is monitored and data collected and managed in a professional manner. Broadband wireless systems and ICT
are critical tools for this by supporting monitoring of
environmental conditions – such as oceanographic
habitats and land-use changes – through use of satellite imagery and radiocommunications / wireless applications. By facilitating information exchange based
on accurate, real-time scientific information, broadband supports better decision-making and improved
assessment of progress in meeting environmental targets.
Proposed Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably
use the oceans, seas and marine resources for
sustainable development
Mauritania managing marine resources sustainably 37
To ensure the sustainable management of Mauritania’s
marine resources, one of the most abundant in fish
stocks worldwide, a fishing vessel observation system
was created to gather information on the identification and positioning of ships, via radio technology. As
a result, localized objects can get assigned to fishing
licenses – so that the missions of observation units
can be optimized – and the fishing authorities are better enabled to intervene with fishing operations when
necessary.
Key Success Factors:
This observation system was originally
financed by the German Development Bank. 38
However, the project-executing agency,
the DSPCM (Délégation à la Surveillance
des Pêches et au Contrôle en Mer), has
managed to maintain services and operations
independently at an adequate level over the
past years because the Mauritanian state
continues to provide sufficient funding.
More generally, efforts must be made to
ensure that project-executing agencies can
self-generate income so as to ensure proper
internal operations and to make necessary
investments, provided it is subject to
appropriate public supervision. For example,
while the raw data should remain free and
open and be shared at the global scale, data
products and services can provide highly
needed financial income for government
agencies as well as the private sector.
Proposed Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote
sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests, combat
desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and halt biodiversity loss
United Arab Emirates monitors its environment 39
The UAE National Statistics Center, with the Ministry of
Environment, decided to develop a common environmental database that will support the assessment of
the UAE’s sustainable development initiatives. Experiences will be exchanged to build an integrated statistical database and co-ordinate the design of forms and
applications to be used in collecting data and statistical information. Through this agreement and strategic
partnership this decision-making tool on environmental
issues will be used by policymakers, as well as regional and international organizations, for decision making based on real-time data. This database will also be
valuable for regional and international organizations in
assessing UAE’s sustainable development initiatives.
13
Key Success Factors:
Harnessing
the
‘data
revolution’ 40
is
fundamental to building shared global
understanding of challenges related to natural
resource management and environmental
protection. Broadband-enabled technologies
can facilitate the collection, processing
and distribution of massive quantities of
information and ensure accessibility for the
general public.
Peace, justice and social inclusion
Broadband policies which integrate accessibility services and open government activities can help build
the foundations for long-term civil stability. Improving
interactions between government and citizens – for example, through e-government and e-diplomacy – can
prevent corruption, promote accountability and facilitate enhanced transparency around human rights. Additionally, promoting inclusive societies and institutions
includes amplifying accessibility to persons with disabilities (PwDs). This entails removing barriers – so that
persons with disabilities can use ICT – and establishing enabling environments for ICT accessibility, including web accessibility. By offering alternative communications links, broadband technologies and services
help promote equal opportunities for PwDs.
14
Proposed Goal 16. Promote peaceful and
inclusive societies for sustainable development,
provide access to justice for all and build
effective, accountable and inclusive institutions
at all levels
Promoting peace with ICT 41
In early 2014, the Whitaker Peace and Development
Initiative (WPDI) founded the Youth Peacemaker Network (YPN) project in Tijuana, Mexico. WPDI, with its
technology partner, Ericsson, aims to break the cycle
of violence in Tijuana by empowering youth with ICT
and education solutions to help catalyze positive social
change. Young people are being taught ICT skills and
responsible use of the internet, and how technology
can assist them in their community-building efforts.
With other projects based in South Sudan and North
Uganda, WPDI is inspiring a new generation of leaders
in conflict-affected areas to become agents of positive
change through ICT, thus laying the foundations for
peaceful and prosperous global human development.
Key Success Factors:
Collaborative, multi-stakeholder partnerships
have been crucial in the implementation and
success of the YPN, with each organization
providing expertise and support in various
ways. As technology partner, Ericsson provides
internet access via mobile broadband, tablets,
and mobile phones alongside basic ICT and
social media training and tools.
One-stop-shop for e-government in the Republic of
Macedonia 42
Denmark improving IT accessibility for persons with
disabilities 43
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has been
an early adopter of e-Government. The interoperability
system for connecting the institutions for exchanging
data and documents has a crucial role in providing one
stop shop administrative services, but also speeding
up the process of implementation of new and better
e-services. Completely electronic public procurements, e-tax services, e-cadastre, e-registration of a
company, are one of the positive examples keeping
Macedonia among the world’s top 5 reformers in the
World Bank Doing Business Report.
In Denmark, IT accessibility for people with impaired
functionality is an important focus area in the achievement of joint public goals regarding full digital communication between citizens and the public sector. However, a 2010 Danish IT and Telecom Agency ‘Webtjek’
survey of accessibility of public websites showed that
there was room for improvement: only a little under half
(48%) had few or no serious accessibility problems,
while a little over half of websites surveyed (52%) had
several functionalities or content that were not accessible. Following the survey, information and consultancy
provision has been tightened up, and new e-learning
modules on IT accessibility have been developed for a
wide range of public employees.
Key Success Factors:
By using a combination of new and amended
legislation, the Republic of Macedonia has
eliminated barriers for usage of e-Government
services. Legislation designed in this way allows
for e-government services to be integrated
into a single platform, thus facilitating easy
access and making governance processes
more efficient and streamlined.
Key Success Factors:
Establishing a comprehensive monitoring
framework based on industry-wide metrics
and indicators is an important aspect of
broadband and ICT deployment to ensure
equal access for all. Government web
accessibility includes surveying existing
government websites to measure their
accessibility levels in compliance with
international standards and setting targets for
implementation of web accessibility guidelines
by all government websites, including training
of web developers. Valuable insights gained
from surveys can help shape strategies to
improve current policies and activities for
overcoming the digital divide.
Section 3 will expand on these success factors to
provide more general recommendations on how
governments can create a policy environment and
market conditions that encourage widely accessible
and affordable broadband deployment.
15
3
The Way
Forward
Sections 1 and 2 have proven that there is considerable
scope to leverage the transformative potential of ICT
and broadband to achieve sustainable development for
all. Best practice examples from around the world show
that governments are already reaping the benefits of
ICT in the form of better governance, economic growth,
environmental management, resource efficiency as
well as social development and inclusion. They also
show that, for broadband to deliver these benefits, an
enabling policy and market framework must be actively
created. Long-term planning, incentives, collaboration,
cross-ministry coordination, community engagement,
use of existing infrastructure, knowledge transfer and
effective monitoring and evaluation are all important
factors for success.
As we consider the post-2015 development agenda
and embark on a process of creating a set of global
Sustainable Development Goals, it is important
that ICT and broadband are recognized as key
crosscutting means of implementation. Not only can
these technologies bring innovation, connectivity and
efficiency gains to other sectors, they can overcome
the effects of social and economic exclusion, boost
enterprise productivity and strengthen resilience by
protecting critical infrastructure.
One of the key challenges the proposed SDGs
are trying to address is the interconnectedness of
development issues – for example that human health
ultimately depends on environmental health; and that
education of girls is a catalyst for improved economic
and health outcomes. ICT and broadband can help the
global community to manage these inherently complex
and interconnected challenges in a sustainable way,
create multiplier effects and synergies, and amplify the
speed and scale of transformation, especially in the
world’s least developed and most vulnerable regions.
But for ICT to play its part effectively, more needs
to be done to realize its full potential. This was the
focus of the Broadband Commission’s 2013 report,
Transformative Solutions for 2015 and Beyond, which
proposed 10 recommendations to stakeholders to
realize ICT’s potential in sustainable development.
The same recommendations apply in relation to
the proposed SDGs, starting with the need for
every nation to introduce a comprehensive National
Broadband Plan (NBP) that integrates the principles of
sustainable development and explicitly recognizes ICT
and broadband’s role in socio-economic development
(as many countries have already done).
Beyond this, governments need to create a policy
environment and market conditions that encourage
widely
accessible
and
affordable
broadband
deployment by, for example, identifying regulatory gaps
and barriers; streamlining planning processes and
building cross-ministerial synergies; raising awareness
and incentives for uptake; and sharing knowledge and
best practice. Finally, in cases where different entities
are in charge of inter-related broadband aspects, an
overall coordinating framework should be put in place
to share information and coordinate initiatives for the
supply and use of broadband. Some broadband plans
assign the coordinating role to a particular ministry,
agency or set up a dedicated council.
The following recommendations build on industry
suggestions for government action and internationally
recognized best practices with the aim of helping
policymakers create the right enabling frameworks for
ICT and broadband to be rolled out universally and
play a significant, transformative role in society. For
ICT and broadband to fulfill their potential as a powerful
means of implementation in achieving the proposed
SDGs, actions are needed from governments across
three key areas: policy, markets and monitoring.
Policy-focused Actions
1.Accountability: designate particular ministry,
agency or set up a National Broadband Council
to achieve cross-ministry collaboration and
broadband policy integration. Include explicit
environmental and socioeconomic development
goals in NBPs.
2.Regulation: identify where regulatory gaps,
barriers or overlap could stall development or
increase time to market of emerging, cross-sector
ICT applications. Establish a pro-investment
environment through best practice regulatory policy,
fair and transparent regulation, and constructive
dialogue with stakeholders. Encourage network
and facility sharing through “soft” measures
such as cross-sector infrastructure mapping that
enables the coordination of civil works. Adopt a
“light-touch” regulatory approach, intervening only
when necessary, while ensuring that market forces
work without constraints and in favor of innovation.
3.Consistency: define clear, nationally consistent
planning approval processes for base-stations
and align exposure guidelines with World Health
Organisation (WHO) and ITU-R recommendations.
4.Trust: in consultation with stakeholders, develop
clear guidelines on privacy and human rights to
build public trust in ICT and incorporate secure
identity authentication into e-government services
to boost consumer adoption and awareness.
17
Market-based Actions
Monitoring, Measurement & Standardization Actions
1.Spectrum: allocate sufficient spectrum. License
spectrum in regionally harmonized bands to build
economies of scale and bring down end-user device
costs. Design spectrum allocation mechanisms
(e.g. auctions, beauty contests, etc.) to maximize
long-term socio-economic benefits, not maximize
short-term revenue. Complete the digital switchover in television broadcasting to release ‘digital
dividend’ spectrum for mobile broadband. Assign
spectrum for a license term that allows for a
reasonable rate of return, e.g. 15-20 years.
1. Goals and targets: in addition to fiber deployment
targets, include ambitious, achievable targets for
mobile broadband coverage. Set measurable goals
for broadband-enabled development initiatives to
spur progress in ICT for development initiatives,
for example using the SDSN’s proposed indicators
(Box 2). Set successful delivery of NBPs as a
cross-ministry KPI (key performance indicator) to
prioritize adoption and build ownership.
2.Investment: use existing universal service funds
to accelerate rollout of broadband. Provide
investment incentives to the private sector and
harness market dynamics and competition to
create good consumer outcomes, especially
where ICT applications generate proven positive
outcomes. Where sustainable business models
are not possible, consider alternative investment
models. Invest in and liberalize international
gateways. Invest in smart city solutions to reap
municipal and environmental benefits and spur
innovation. Support knowledge- and capacitybuilding on regulatory principles and best practice.
Subsidize broadband-enabled educational tools
for young people to boost learning and ICT skills
while supporting sector growth. Incentivize uptake
of e-applications by funding or facilitating scalable
pilots.
3.Partnership: facilitate partnerships between
the private sector, government agencies and
development communities. In particular, because
of trends of increasing mobile-enabled technology
uptake, facilitate partnerships among mobile
operator members, the wider mobile industry and
development communities to drive commercial
mobile services in mobile money, mobile health
and mobile education and share findings. Work
actively across ministries to find synergies and
policy approaches that simultaneously achieve
multiple goals.
4.Neutrality: establish a level playing field for new
market entrants. Let the market decide which
technology to use by adopting a technology-neutral
approach.
18
2.Monitoring: task the telecoms regulatory authority
with robust monitoring and auditing of broadband
penetration and use. Contribute actively to
international and intergovernmental monitoring
initiatives.
3.Standardization: encourage the development
of standardized methodologies for measuring the
impact and effectiveness of broadband and sectorspecific metrics based on empirical research.
4.Knowledge-sharing:
harness
the
‘data
revolution’ to build shared global understanding of
sustainable development challenges. Promote the
sharing and dissemination of ICT innovation and
lessons learned from sustainable development
pilot projects so they can be scaled. Raise public
awareness of the transformative potential of ICT to
build demand for broadband-based, sustainable
solutions.
Box 2: ICT-related indicators included in the proposed
SDSN indicator framework
The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) 45 is proposing indicators and a monitoring
framework aligned with the proposed SDGs to serve both as a management tool to help countries
develop implementation and monitoring strategies, and as a report card to ensure accountability and
measure progress towards targets in achieving the proposed SDGs. In recognition of the vital role
broadband and ICT can play as a critical means of implementation, two ICT-related indicators, still
under development, are included in the proposed SDSN indicator framework 46:
Indicator 65: Mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants by urban/rural
Indicator 66: Index on ICT infrastructure performance
ICT and other advanced technologies are critical for economic development and achieving the other
SDGs. To properly measure implementation, an index is needed to track both the quality and performance
of countries’ ICT infrastructure. This proposed index would measure three equally weighted dimensions
of ICT infrastructure performance:
• Fixed broadband quality: measured as mean download speed (in kilobits per second),
as established
through user speed tests;
•
Mobile broadband quality: measured as the proportion of download speed test measurements
with download throughput of [1 megabit per second] or greater; and
• International bandwidth capacity: measured as bandwidth connected across international
borders to metropolitan areas as of mid-year (expressed in megabit per second (mbps).
19
Transformative Solutions for 2015 and Beyond:
10 recommendations for multi-stakeholder action from the Broadband Commission:
1. Affordability & Accessibility: Make ICT and high-speed broadband universally available
at affordable cost for all.
2. Sustainable Development Strategy & Vision: Ensure that ICT and broadband are embedded
in all of the universal goals and national targets to be defined as part of the Post-2015 global
development agenda to fully capture transformative, sustainable solutions.
3. Cross-Sector Integration of Policy & Plans: Deploy national development policies and plans
to actively drive cross-sector integration of economic and social outcomes deliverable and
scalable through ICT and broadband.
4. Enabling Regulatory Environment: Create a streamlined and enabling regulatory
environment for the broadband era that accelerates removal of barriers to market entry
for broadband ICT uptake.
5. Market Incentives: Provide consumer incentives and harness government procurement
to drive demand and stimulate private sector innovation and investment.
6. Partnership & Multi-stakeholder Collaboration: Twin broadband innovation and investment
with sustainable multi-stakeholder business models to capitalize on the transformative potential
of universal ICT.
7. Spectrum Optimization: Drive the game-changing potential of mobile broadband through
the optimized use of radioelectrical frequency spectrum for universal ICT for development
penetration.
8. Harmonization & Standardization: Promote the utilization of global standards to enable
the harmonization and interoperability of ICT and broadband-enabled services and applications,
putting special emphasis on affordability and accessibility.
9. Monitoring & Evaluation: Establish a comprehensive monitoring framework for broadband
deployment and robust accountability mechanisms to track development progress via
industry-wide broadband ICT metrics and indicators.
10. Resource Mobilization, Innovation & Investment: Develop appropriate solutions to maximize
resource mobilization, innovation and investment in broadband for both developed and
developing countries.
20
21
References
22
1.
2.
3.
UN Member States mandated the Open Working
Group with this task at the Rio+20 conference in
2012, through the Future We Want outcome document
(full text available at https://rio20.un.org/sites/rio20.
un.org/files/a-conf.216l-1_english.pdf.pdf). The Open
Working Group (OWG) was established in January
2013 and includes a total of 70 Member States in 30
multi-constituency seats representing the regional
groups. Between March 2013 and July 2014, the
OWG held thirteen sessions in an effort to develop an
SDG proposal for consideration by the UN General
Assembly. Further information available at
http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/owg.html
Full text available at http://sustainabledevelopment.
un.org/focussdgs.html
Means of implementation are important systemic
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See www.broadbandcommission.org
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A variety of examples were chosen (public policy
actions, government-led initiatives, multi-stakeholder
initiatives, etc.) to highlight the different ways in which
governments can leverage broadband to achieve
sustainable development objectives. These best
practices are taken from a series of reports, interviews
as well as a cross-country analysis of 119 national
broadband plans conducted by the Broadband
Commission Secretariat. This analysis reveals
several examples of how governments are already
implementing ICT/Broadband to advance social
development, economic growth and environmental
protection. For the purposes of this report, countries
that featured the most comprehensive best practice in
one sector (e.g. broadband for health) were selected
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16. See http://nmis.mdgs.gov.ng/
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www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2014%20MDG%20
report/MDG%202014%20English%20web.pdf
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23
22. See http://connecttolearn.org/
23. See http://moocs.com/
24. Egypt National Broadband Plan. 2011. Available at
http://www.ntra.gov.eg/emisr/Presentations/Plan_
En.pdf
25. See http://www.gatesfoundation.org/ What-We-Do/
Global-Development/Global-Libraries
26. The Climate Group (on behalf of GeSI). SMART 2020:
Enabling the low carbon economy in the information
age. 2008. Available at http://www.smart2020.org/
publications/
36. National ICT Strategy and Plan NICI – 2015. Rwanda,
2011. Available at http://www.rdb.rw/uploads/tx_
sbdownloader/NICI_III.pdf
37. See http://www.itu.int/wsis/stocktaking/scripts/
documents.asp?project=1115033513&lang=en
38. KFW. “Mauritania: Fishery Monitoring and Surveillance
I and II, Ex-Post Evaluation Report. 2008. Available at
https://www.kfw-entwicklungsbank.de/migration/
Entwicklungsbank-Startseite/DevelopmentFinance/Evaluation/Results-and-Publications/PDFDokumente-L-P/Mauritania_Fishery_Monitoring_
Surveillance_2008.pdf
27. Momentum for Change is an initiative to raise
awareness of innovative, transformative solutions that
address climate change along with wider economic,
social and environmental challenges. Further
information available at http://unfccc.int/secretariat/
momentum_for_change/items/7861.php
39. See http://www.itu.int/wsis/stocktaking/plugin/
documents.asp?project=1302979807&lang=en
28. Sustainable Development Solutions Network. An
Action Agenda for Sustainable Development, Report
for the UN Secretary-General. 6 June 2013. Available
at http://unsdsn.org/resources/publications/anaction-agenda-for-sustainable-development/
42. Republic of Macedonia Ministry of Information society
and Administration. “Information Society Development
in the Republic of Macedonia,” May 2014.
29. US Federal Communications Commission. Connecting
America, the National Broadband Plan. 2010. Available
at http://download.broadband.gov/plan/nationalbroadband-plan.pdf
30. WHO. Global Health Observatory: Urban Population
Growth. Accessed 11 September 2014. Available at
http://www.who.int/gho/urban_health/situation_
trends/urban_population_growth_text/en/
31. UN-Habitat. State of the World’s Cities 2012/2013:
Prosperity of Cities. 2013. Available at mirror.
unhabitat.org/pmss/getElectronicVersion.
aspx?nr=3387&alt=1
32. Ericsson and UN-Habitat, “The role of ICT in the new
urban agenda,” September 2014.
www.ericsson/sustainability.com
33. Ibid
34. Ibid
35. Stockholm Royal Seaport. “Sustainability gains
through shared ICT infrastructure”. 22 April 2014.
Available at http://stockholmroyalseaport.com/en/
news-and-events/sustainability-gains-throughshared-ict-infrastructure/#.VBEeB1aRLwI
24
40. See http://www.post2015hlp.org/wp-content/
uploads/2013/08/ What-is-the-Data-Revolution.pdf
41. See http://wpdi.org/
43. 37 Telecommunication Market and Regulatory
Developments. Denmark, 2011. Available at http://
ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda /sites/digital-agenda /
files/DK_Country_Chapter_17th_Report_0.pdf
44. Further information on GSR Best Practice Guidelines
2013 on the evolving roles of both regulation and the
regulators in a digital environment is available at www.
itu.int/bestpractices
45. See http://unsdsn.org/
46. Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
“Launching a data revolution for the SDGs:
A report by the Leadership Council of the Sustainable
Development Solutions Network,” 25 July 2014.
Available at http://unsdsn.org/resources/
publications/indicators/
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